The automobile industry includes manufacturers of products that allow owners to customize the look and functionality of their vehicles. In particular, the disclosed invention concerns the class of customizing products referred to as guards or deflectors. These products are typically mounted to a vehicle with the purpose of protecting a vulnerable part of the vehicle from impacts with road debris, brush, rocks, shopping carts, or other hazards. Vehicle parts which are often particularly vulnerable are the plastic or glass lenses of the various lights including the headlights and taillights. In modern vehicles, these lens assemblies are typically mounted at the 4 corners of a vehicle where they are vulnerable from 2 sides. Additionally, these lens assemblies may be complex in shape and integrated into the overall appearance and aesthetics of the vehicle which often makes them very expensive to replace.
The typical brush guard is fabricated from metal and mounted to the vehicle via one or more brackets which are attached to the vehicle body or directly to the part being protected. Attachment is typically accomplished by drilling new holes or by utilizing existing attachment points. Existing attachment points are typically accessed by disassembling a portion of the vehicle. Both drilling new attachment points and utilizing existing ones have distinct disadvantages. Drilling can cause disruption of a vehicles corrosion protection and must be repaired if the guard assembly is later removed. Disassembling the vehicle also has disadvantages. A disassembled part may be damaged during disassembly and then reassembly. A skilled service person usually must perform the operation, often using specialized tools. Reassembly must be carefully performed to avoid misalignment, especially with headlights.
The shape of modern lens assemblies is often complex with multiple light sources. Any guard must protect the lens but minimize light obstruction. The complex shape of the lens is often a result of the lens being formed to match or continue the contours of the vehicle body. A guard will have greater consumer acceptance if it does not interfere with the overall vehicle aesthetic. To minimize this impact, a guard should be low profile and as form-fitting as possible. This is often very difficult with systems incorporating brackets since the brackets can often be seen and can cause the guard to appear to be sticking out from the vehicle.
Other methods of attachment are available for affixing components to a vehicle exterior. One common method for attaching decorative molding and small accent pieces is by using double sided adhesive tape. This tape typically has a pressure sensitive adhesive on both sides of a plastic film. A popular product uses acrylic foam as the center film and is produced by numerous adhesive film manufacturers like 3M or Avery Dennison. The use of foam is intended to fill small voids between the surfaces of a rigid part being applied and the rigid vehicle body. The foam is not generally intended to provide any significant shock isolation. The use of two sided adhesive tape has the advantage that the attachment device is substantially hidden from view. In addition, no special tools are necessary and no vehicle modification need be performed by skilled workers. Finally, it is often possible to remove taped-on parts with minimum damage to the vehicle and often the part itself.
What is needed is a system for attaching a protective guard onto or around a vulnerable vehicle component which can be installed by any vehicle owner, without special tools, and without drilling or disassembling the vehicle. The guard should have a low profile and complement the overall vehicle aesthetics.